Pet Professionals – From Suites and Heels to Fur and Feathers

Some who possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for pets have traded the stress and instability of the corporate world for the pleasure and satisfaction of owning a pet related business.

Jamie Crawford worked 20 years for Johnson & Johnson before learning dog grooming and opening Groomingdale’s pet salon in Woodbridge.

While working on her PhD in microbiology, Laura Sharkey trained dogs. Now, Dr. Laura Sharkey is the owner of WOOFS! Dog Training Center, a dog training and daycare facility in Arlington.

Lisa Foust spent a lot of time on the road as a sales and marketing professional. She found it difficult to find people to care for her pets in her absence and had to rely on the generosity of her friends and family. Ten years ago she founded Capital Pet Sitters and solved her problem.

An aerospace engineer working on the Hubble Telescope, Andy Andersen’s hobby was parrots. Now, His parrot passion is a full-time job. Parrot Paraphernalia is a wholesale pet birdcage business.

So, go ahead, ask you’re pet professional what they used to do. You might be surprised.